


Operation Sandman

by AngelwithMidnightWings



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, Insomnia, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-13
Updated: 2018-06-19
Packaged: 2018-07-23 20:42:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7479258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelwithMidnightWings/pseuds/AngelwithMidnightWings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I think the most common cause of insomnia is simple: it's loneliness."<br/>~Heath Ledger</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Still don't own OUAT....

The first time it happens is Neverland.

Emma is insisting that Regina try to get some sleep so that she won’t be exhausted and grumpy in the morning. Regina scoffs at that and assures the blonde savior she will be fine and no more ‘grumpy’ than normal.

Emma rolls her eyes and turns away to finish setting up her own make-shift bed.

While she’s turned Regina sighs. The truth was Regina rarely slept. She was what some people defined as an insomniac. Her sleep was so light, any little noise woke her, and that was _after_ hours of staring at the ceiling—or in this case the starry sky—doing nothing but counting sheep and hating herself.

Yet she still settled down, facing determinedly away from Emma. The blonde stops shifting around mere moments later and she hears a softly murmured, “Goodnight Regina.”

The brunette doesn’t respond too focused on trying to fall asleep. At least that’s what she tells herself. In truth she doesn’t want Emma to hear the exhaustion that would surely wring out with every word uttered, no matter how few.

She offers a deep sigh and hears nothing from the birth mother of her son for what she believes to be several hours.

“I know you’re not asleep,” Emma’s voice carries over the small camp. It’s soft with sleep though Regina suspects the blonde hasn’t fallen asleep at all either. “If you’re worried about Henry, we’ll find him.”

“I know,” Regina whispers, after a moment. “But what state he is in, is what worries me. Where’s Hook?” she adds as an afterthought

The slight shuffle from Emma’s side of the camp sounds loud in the quiet of the night. “He’s patrolling the area. Can I ask you a question?”

Regina’s answer is hesitant, “If you must.”

“Are you still an insomniac?”

Shoulders tense, Regina rolls over. She finds blue eyes staring at her, glinting under moonlight. “Excuse me?”

“Mary-Margret told me when she was younger she would see you wandering the halls of the castle—which was a weird conversation in itself—and I remember when a foster father of mine used to do the same thing. He had insomnia and he could rarely sleep a wink in the night. You haven’t slept at all tonight so I was wondering if it was just because of Henry or a regular occurrence.”

Emma sits up, pinning Regina under a sleepy gaze, waiting for an answer. Regina just blinks at her, refusing to admit her sleep deprivation.

“Could I try something? My foster mother did this with her husband and it sometimes helped him sleep, even just for a few hours.”

If asked, Regina will say she refused the blonde’s idea, despite the almost imperceptible nod she gives. Emma stands, blanket in tow, and moves towards the brunette’s sleeping area. She plops down beside the former Queen and nudges her until she is lying back down. When she obeys the silent command, Emma tentatively wraps an arm around her waist, and pulls her closer. “What are you doing,” Regina croaks, barely daring to breathe let alone move away.

“The warmth and security from another’s body heat is supposed to help,” Emma explains, her breath puffing against Regina’s neck. “Just try to sleep, okay? We’ll find Henry in the morning.”

A hum of acknowledgment escapes the brunette. Her eyes slide shut and if anyone asks in the morning, it was while she slept that she curled further against the blonde. Not before.

Let’s just say it was the most sleep the brunette had gotten in a long time.

…

A few weeks later Henry is safe and sound and home in his bed at the mansion.

Regina sits at her dining room table, a glass of cider in her hand and her cell phone lying in front of her. She reaches for it, pulling away at the last second. This process is repeated several times before she actually decides to pick it up and use it.

It rings. Once, twice, three times. Halfway through the fourth it cuts off. “Hello?” the voice is ragged with sleep. “Hello?” it asks again. Regina’s voice catches.

“Regina, what’s wrong? Is something wrong with Henry?”

“No,” Regina murmurs finally. “Nothing is wrong with him, he’s asleep and safe. I keep checking on him to make sure.”

“Okay,” Emma trails off. “So why are you calling, Regina?”

“I,” she pauses, a nervousness she’s rarely had emerging. “I couldn’t sleep.”

Emma’s sigh comes out breathy, almost like a laugh. “I gathered as much if you’re calling me.”

A sleepy smile allows itself across Regina’s features. “I mean I haven’t really slept since, since Neverland. Haven’t really since that, uh night.”

“Let me guess, you were hoping I would come over in the middle of the night. Drive halfway across town so you can get at least a few hours of sleep tonight?”

“Yes,” Regina responds. The honesty in her voice makes Emma pause.

Regina’s breathe hitches as the silence stretches longer. Finally Emma replies, “I’ll be over shortly.”

“The door will be open,” she murmurs before hanging up. Then she waits.

Emma doesn’t leave her waiting long. She’s hyper aware of the front door creaking open followed by booted feet stepping lightly along the tile.

“Regina,” Emma whispers to the brunette whose back is to her. When she gets no answer she places a gentle hand upon a tense shoulder. Her other hand encircles Regina’s, the one clutching to her tumbler for dear life. Tugging the cup from cold hands she pulls Regina up from the chair, the brunette not resisting in the slightest. “It’s two o’clock in the morning, let’s go to bed.”

Regina nods, leading the blonde upstairs but not saying a word. When they reach her bedroom door, Emma hesitates. “You can back out if you want,” Regina husks in a sleep deprived voice.

Emma gaze tightens. “I’d rather not go back out in the cold,” she teases. “A bed is a bed, and yours just happens to be the closest.”

Regina offers a small smile and leads Emma the rest of the way into the bedroom. Only then does the brunette realize Emma’s pajamas.

“Are those bunny rabbits?”

Emma laughs. “Yes, they are my only warm pair of pajamas bottoms. Don’t judge me. Not everyone sleeps in silk every night.”

Emma almost misses the soft hue of rose that creeps up Regina’s cheeks. She smiles at the reaction moving closer to the brunette standing awkwardly in the middle of the large bedroom. “Thank you,” Regina murmurs, eyes darting up to meet warm blue ones.

Emma just nods, waiting for Regina to make the next move. When it comes, Regina is surrounded in purple magic. When it’s gone her navy blue dress is replaced with a silk pantsuit.

Emma splutters, trying to choke back her laughter. “You sleep in that?” she teases. “That doesn’t look comfortable.”

Regina looks down at what she’s wearing. “There is nothing wrong with this outfit. Besides it’s just for tonight, I usually sleep in something a little more comfortable and a lot shorter.”

This time Emma blushes, bringing a familiar smirk to Regina’s features. “It’s better to sleep comfortable. I won’t judge, Regina, honestly.”

“Okay,” Regina murmurs, magic once again circling her, dissipating to reveal a short silk nightie. “So should we just do this?” she asks, when Emma doesn’t say anything after a moment.

Emma gestures to the bed, following Regina’s lead as she slides under a thick comforter. She opens her arms up and smiles as brunette hair tickles her nose. “Goodnight Regina,” Emma whispers, placing a kiss against her temple.

They both freeze when they realize what Emma did. Regina’s arm snakes around the blonde’s waist to pull them tighter against each other. Her breath puffs against a sharp collarbone, “Goodnight Miss Swan.”

Fingertips graze gently up and down the older woman’s spine, lulling her into a blissful state of sleep she rarely, if ever, reached.

When she woke in the morning Emma was gone, the pillow she had slept on was still warm. A quick glance at the clock read 7:02 am as the front door closed. Gripping the warm pillow closer Regina picks a stray blonde hair from it with a sigh.

To the quiet room she murmurs, “thank you, Emma.”

…

“I’m home,” David calls, closing the door behind him.

Almost immediately Snow and Henry shush him.

“What,” he says in a forced whisper, dropping his coat over the back of a chair. Snow goes back to making her tea as Henry points to the couch. When David sees what his grandson is pointing at, he gapes. “Is that…?”

“We were watching a movie when mom passed out. Ma said to leave her be, that she hasn’t been sleeping well. Then she passed out too, rubbing moms back.”

“Has this happened before?” David asks, watching the way the two women cling to each other in their sleep.

Snow hums quietly, a small smile worming its way across her features. “I’d say,” she murmurs, sipping her tea. “It’s the only way Regina can sleep.”

“What?” this time Henry asks as he turns to his grandmother.

“Your mother is an insomniac, she has trouble sleeping. She’s only able to get a decent, non-draining sleep when someone is with her. I think Emma has done this a few times,” Snow explains, watching her daughter and former enemy shift on the couch.

Henry nods thoughtfully. “It has smelt of leather sometimes in the morning. I always thought it was just from when ma came over last but it could mean she’s slept over before. Do you think we should ask them about it?”

“No,” Snow answers immediately, placing a hand over Henry’s. “Your mother is a very private person and saying something may make her feel like she has something to be ashamed about. Just maybe ask her to watch a movie sometime this week, cuddle up to her and see what happens. Better yet, ask if Emma can come over too, and watch what they do.”

He makes a face but concedes with a nod. “Okay, Operation Sandman is a go.”

David and Snow share a smirk, Operation Sandman indeed.

…

“I can’t believe Henry talked you into this,” Emma chuckles, nudging Regina’s shoulder from the spot beside her.

Emma sits on one side of Regina, their thighs pressed against each other under the warm blanket, while Henry sits on the other. He’s curled under his mother’s arm; eyes closed in feign sleep, and secretly listening to the two as they converse in undertones so as not to disturb the movie they are supposed to be watching.

“He was very convincing,” Regina murmurs, with a soft smile and long fingers stroking through thick, curly hair. This move almost did _actually_ put him to sleep.

The following silence is broken when Emma murmurs, “I’m sorry about before.”

Regina doesn’t respond, even the fingers massaging his scalp freeze and just like his brunette mother, he won’t admit to the soft noise of complaint that rises from his throat. He can picture her soft smile as she restarts the movements almost immediately.

“About everything I have done or threatened since the kid brought me here. About what everyone else has done since I have been here, I mean you did copious damage to some of them sure, especially those closest to Snow but you brought them to indoor plumping and I hardly find that a crime. They should be thanking you to be honest. Your curse wasn’t even that bad, they forgot who they were but you planned in meticulous detail your curse and I admire what it took to go through with it. Not the murdering obviously, but the pain you must have felt to believe a curse of any kind could make you happy. It took a lot of courage,” Emma trails off, rubbing the back of her neck to stop from rambling.

“The curse brought me Henry, and he is all I ask for. But for the record _I_ am sorry for what my curse did to your childhood,” Regina whispers back.

They’re silent for so long Henry wonders how they can just sit in silence like that. He wants to say something. He wants _them_ to continue talking. He finds it’s actually very nice when they aren’t at each other’s throats.

However he should have known it wouldn’t last, especially since his blonde mother was involved. “He’s asleep, the movies over. I should probably go,” she murmurs as she shifts away from Regina to stand in front of the couch.

“Emma,” Regina’s voice is soft.

“Yeah?”

“Stay…”

“Okay.”

Henry fell asleep as his blonde mother settled back down and pulled Regina closer into her side. Operation Sandman was well under way and he couldn’t help the smile from appearing as he peeked at his mothers, buried under blankets, dark hair tucked under a strong jawline.

Oh yes, it was a very good start, he thought. A very good start indeed.


	2. Operation Sandman, roadblock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regina falls back on her progression into battling her insomnia.

The sound of glass shattering welcomed him home.

“Mom,” he calls hesitantly.

There is no answer, so he puts his shoes and jacket in the closet, and walks into the mansion to look for his brunette mother. He walks into the kitchen to see his mother standing in front of the kitchen sink.

“Mom,” he says again.

She jumps, spinning towards him, a hand clutching at her chest, and her eyes wide. “Henry, when did you get home?”

He walks a few steps into the kitchen and sees broken glass in the sink. “A few minutes ago. What happened?”

“It slipped, how was school?”

She flicks her hair back from her face and steps away from the sink.

He rolls his eyes at the blatant lie. “Okay, I’ve got a project due in a few days.”

She smiles, but he can see the bags under her eyes. “Perfect, why don’t you go get started on it while I cook dinner.”

“Is Emma coming for dinner?” he asks, quietly, shifting his backpack on his shoulder.

Her shoulders rise slightly, though she appears to be trying to look as relaxed as possible. “Not tonight, something came up at the Sheriff’s station.”

His shoulders dorp and he nods. “Okay, I’ll go start my homework.”

She moves over to cup his face, pressing a kiss to his temple before ruffling his hair. “I love you, my little prince,” she murmurs as he walks away.

“Love you too, mom,” he replies.

He stomps up the steps into his room, brow furrowing when his mother doesn’t say anything about it.

He throws his bag on his bed and pulls out his cell.

After the third ring his blonde mother answers, “Hey, kid, what’s up?”

“What did you do?”

She snorts, “What are you talking about, Hen?”

“It’s mom. You must have done something because she’s acting weird.”

Emma sucks in a breath. “Is she okay?”

“She says she’s fine, but she’s a little spacey, didn’t even hear me come in. Are you working right now?”

“No, I’m home. Why the sudden flip, Henry?”

Henry sighs and frowns. He grabs a pen from his desk and begins to click it between his fingers. “I don’t know why mom is acting so weird, she’s been like this for a while now. Plus, you haven’t been here since that movie night a few weeks ago. You guys must have fought or something,” he says, more to himself. Trying to think of what could have happened between his mothers, to have his brunette one looking so torn up and worn down.

“I don’t think I did anything, kid,” she tries to explain, “but your mom and I have both been busy with work. I’ll stop by sometime this week, how about that?”

“Okay, I guess that’s fine,” he says finally. “Sorry for accusing you of, you know, it’s just normally when she’s like this it’s because you’ve done something.”

She chuckles at that. “It’s okay, kid. I understand. I love you and I’ll call you later. You good?”

He hums in agreement. “Bye ma.”

They hang up.

Henry pulls out his homework and begins it. An hour later, he’s still doing homework and begins to worry about what is taking his mother so long.

He goes downstairs to the kitchen to see his mom leaning against the counter, her head in her hands.

He knocks on the doorframe quietly. “Mom, you okay?”

She glances up blearily. “Yeah, Henry. Are you okay if we just order from Granny’s?”

He eyes her as she pushes herself up, already reaching for her cell. “Are you sure you’re okay? You look a little...pale.”

She looks to respond but her eyes roll into the back of her head before she can say anything. She collapses to the floor, pale as a ghost, and Henry rushes forward to try and slow her fall.

He cradles her head and reaches for his mom’s cell.

His first call to his ma. “Regina?” emma says.

“No, ma, mom collapsed. I don’t know what to do,” his voice is shaking.

“Okay, Henry. It will be okay. I’m on my way,” her voice calming to the boy.

He nods even though she can’t see him. “Hurry,” he pleads.

“Did she hit her head?” she asks, trying to keep him talking. 

“I caught her, but she may have when we both hit the ground, I don’t know,” he says, voice shaking. 

“Is she breathing?”

“Yes,” he says immediately.

He hears the bug starting on the other end of the line. “Is she going to be okay?”

Emma breathes heavily over the line for a moment where Henry’s panic increases. “She’ll be okay, Hen. I’m almost there.”

He can tell by the screech of the tires from the phone and from outside. The front door slams open and the phone goes dead in his ear.

“Henry,” Emma calls.

“Kitchen,” he stutters.

She appears, wide eyed from around the counter, dropping to the floor beside him. She brushes the hair from Regina’s face.

She stands. “C’mon, kid. We’re taking her to the hospital.”

Just as he’s about to ask how, she bends over to scoop his brunette mother, bridal style, into her arms.

The brunette’s head lolls onto the blonde’s shoulder.

Her eyes soften as she looks at the unconscious woman.

She leads the way out to the bug, letting Henry get in before placing Regina into the back beside him. “Careful of her head,” she says before getting into the front.

They pull up outside the hospital and Emma picks the brunette up again, carrying her in.

…

Regina wakes slowly, pain radiating from the back of her skull. Seems to her like her headache still hadn’t gone away. When she finally blinks her eyes open, she’s surprised to see hospital walls surrounding her.

Her first attempt to move is hindered, and she looks down to find a mess of blonde curls spread out beside her and a pale hand gripping hers.

“Emma,” she murmurs, tugging at the hand holding hers. Her eyes are still heavy, slipping closed briefly, but she fights to keep them open. “Emma,” she tries again, a little louder this time.

The blonde stirs, shoulders already tensing as she’s woken up.

“Miss Swan,” Regina says a final time.

This has the blonde jolting up, looking around in a panicked state, before her eyes fall to the brunette in the bed. Dark eyes meet hers and she lets out a shaking breath. “Regina,” she breathes out. 

“What happened?” the brunette asks, trying to remember how she ended up here. She doesn’t remember much but Henry, and knowing distinctly that Emma wasn’t there.

Emma wipes at her eyes. “You collapsed, Henry called me because you wouldn’t wake up and just fell over reaching for your phone.”

Regina’s brow creases.

“Whale said you collapsed from exhaustion. You said you were getting better,” she says, but it doesn’t sound accusing at all.

Regina flinches anyway, turning away.

Emma’s voice is soft. “Hey,” she begins, tugging on Regina’s hand which she still hasn’t released. She doesn’t continue until the brunette is looking at her. “You could have talked to me, told me how bad it got.”

“We aren’t friends,” Regina snaps, ripping her hand from the blonde. She winces directly after, the pain searing up her spine.

She tries not to look at the frown that takes over Emma’s features. “You need to talk to someone, maybe Archie. You can’t keep going on without any sleep. Regardless of whether we’re friends or not,” she replies finally. “Henry shouldn’t have to deal with you collapsing after weeks of very little sleep.” Emma sighs, standing. “I’m going to get Whale to let him know you are awake.”

She leaves the room and Regina feels a tear of frustration slide down her cheek.

She won’t admit that she does see Emma as her friend. In fact, she’s missed the blonde dearly these past few weeks, barely catching a wink of sleep. But she can’t show how vulnerable that makes her. Her mother always frowned upon any weakness she showed, lack of sleep being no excuse to fail perfection.

She can’t admit how much she wished Emma could stay by her side.

But she does...

**Author's Note:**

> I have never been diagnosed with insomnia nor know anyone who has so this is purely for the fic and in no way positively true. If I offend anyone I apologise but I hope you enjoyed it either way.  
> ~Angel with Midnight Wings


End file.
